Entergy has proposed a nearly $1B, natural gas-fired power plant in Montgomery County, north of Conroe. The combined-cycle gas plant would serve the company's 434,000 customers across 27 Texas counties; the bulk reside north and east of Houston. Construction of the proposed 993-megawatt plant wouldn't start till 2019, and the plant wouldn't be in service till 2021. The project will create about 2,800 temporary construction jobs, but only about 25 permanent jobs.

“The Montgomery County Power Station is an investment in modern technology that will save our customers $1.7B over 30 years by reducing our reliance on energy markets," Entergy Texas CEO Sallie Rainer told the Houston Chronicle.

The Entergy Texas region operates separately from the primary Texas grid. Entergy opted out of Texas deregulation more than a decade ago because of a perceived lack of retail electricity competition. [Chron]